We evaluate the effect of house prices on U.S. military servicemember pension choices. In our setting the wealth channel – an increase in house prices increases household wealth and both current and future consumption – and the collateral channel – an increase in house prices enables the...

While executive compensation is often blamed for the excessive risk taking by banks, little is known about the operating performance incentives used in the finance industry both prior to and subsequent to the recent crisis. We provide a comprehensive analysis of incentive design -- the link of...

We analyze compensation design in banks. Specifically, we document associations with firm characteristics, time-series trends, pay-for-performance sensitivities, performance based pay, and the sensitivity of firm-related wealth to changes in stock return and stock return volatility. We find a...

We study the effects of stock price informativeness (SPI) on the complexity of executive compensation. Using textual analysis of SEC proxy statements to construct measures of compensation complexity, we find informative stock prices reduce pay complexity. Using mutual fund redemption as an...

We study the effect of legal risk on firms' investment. Using legal risk measures based on the number of litigious words in SEC 10-K filings, we find legal risk reduces investment. Underlying mechanisms include both i) a financing channel, whereby legal risk reduces credit ratings, increases...

Extensive discussions of the inefficiencies of "short-termism" in executive compensation notwithstanding, very little is known empirically about the extent of such short-termism. This paper develops a novel measure of executive pay duration that reflects the vesting periods of different pay...